Borrowed Time
by EZdoesit
Summary: After finding the truth about Sara, will Tommy be able to save Lindy before it's too late? Will she believe it? [post-FYEO] [Rated T for occasional bad language]
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! So this is my first Eye Candy fic, but not actually my first fic. I used to do some writing for Gilmore Girls WAY back in the day, to the point that I completely forgot my login, lol. But anyway- this takes place post-episode 9 ("FYEO") so if you haven't seen that, you may be a little confused. I'm trying to follow it (and the sneak peek/promo added for episode 10) as closely as possible. I plan on updating daily this weekend because I'd love to get it all up before the FINALE on Monday. **

**Reviews mean a lot! Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Neither the show, book, or its characters are mine, I just have an active imagination. Also the name is just something I randomly chose, but the more I think about Lindy and her story, the more it kinda works.**

Tommy paced in the hallway, wracking his brain for what to do. Once he and Connor had come to their horrifying discovery, he met up with Yeager, and things only (somehow) got worse from there.

Yeager had also confirmed it – Jake was the killer. They immediately made their way to Lindy's where they were met with yet another gruesome discovery. Jake had been there. Tessa was dead. And Lindy was now off with him.

Sophia was in hysterics as Tommy initially tried to put on a brave face – after all, this was a crime scene and he was an NYPD officer. However, his patience and resolve were both wearing thin as harrowing thoughts of Lindy somewhere alone with Jake filled his mind. Previously, they were just accompanied with feelings of jealousy. But now they were much darker.

The investigation was a lot quicker than the previous, since they already knew who did it. He had even left a note.

_Lucky your little friend had a death wish, Sophia, because you'll never love Lindy as much as I do_

That was when Sophia broke – she hysterically spilled all the news about Tessa, her brain tumor, and her quest for the Flirtual killer. Clinging to Yeager in tears (he was hesitant at first, but understood she really needed the comfort now), she stared Tommy dead in the face and begged him for help.

"Tommy, Tommy we have to find her. She's- she's my best friend," Sophia choked out in between sobs.

Tommy remained silent, staring straight ahead at a blank space on the wall in front of him.

Both he and Sophia tried calling Lindy, but to no avail. After a few tries each, they decided to save themselves the disappointment.

"We'll find a way to track her. We have to," Tommy said with the fiercest determination.

This was more than wanting to win back Lindy's trust in him – he had made a promise to Ben (and himself) to keep her safe, and he was not about to let anything bad (well, _worse_) happen now.

"Where are we going? The precinct?" Sophia asked.

"No time," Tommy shook his head.

"Look, Tom," Yeager sighed. "I know you wanna find Lindy more than anything else, and I'm with you 100%. But there's stuff that'll just get done faster if we're doing work at the precinct. We can even keep the car running outside. First sniff of something, and we're out."

Tommy hesitated for a long time, as Sophia glanced back and forth between the two cops, sniffling. But he finally relented, only on the condition that the car definitely stayed on and ready to go.

In the ride back – Tommy rarely took advantage of his police privileges and floored it through red lights, but he realized he had been doing it a lot more since Lindy and her case had come around – Yeager's phone rang.

"Yeager," He greeted as he picked up, cutting through the harsh silence of the car.

"Hello, detective," An unfamiliar female voice answered.

"Who is this?" He asked curiously. None of them were in any mood for games at this point.

"My mother told me to call you. Catherine Shaw," It was Mary.

"You're Mary?" Yeager questioned, and Sophia and Tommy looked at him with piqued interest.

"Yes," She confirmed.

"Whatcha got?" Yeager asked, trying not to sound impatient.

"Sara. Sara Sampson," She said, slowly.

Yeager nearly dropped the phone.

"With you? Right now?" There was a sense of urgency in his voice.

"Yes. I tried calling her sister, but got no answer. So my mom told me to call you and Detective Calligan instead," She explained.

"Can you meet us at the precinct?" He asked.

"Yes. When?"

"Immediately," He answered without skipping a beat.

They offered quick parting words and Yeager hung up the phone in amazement.

"What? What is it, dude?" Tommy asked.

"Just get to the precinct," Yeager said, and Tommy pressed his pedal to the floor once again.

They arrived a few minutes later, and the air was a mix of tension and mystery. Tommy immediately logged into one of the computers while Sophia questioned Yeager at a frantic speed. Time seemed to slow down when the doors finally opened and two unfamiliar younger women walked in. They looked a bit uneasy, but still walked tall nonetheless.

"Mary?" Yeager greeted.

"Yes," She breathed a sigh of relief.

Sophia soon followed with the introductions, curious as to what they meant for this case. She squinted her eyes at the dark-haired girl standing next to her until she gasped, realization hitting her like a brick. She reacted as if the wind had been knocked out of her and had to sit down.

"Tommy!" Yeager called out, as Tommy was still too engrossed in his research to even register that people had walked in.

He finally tore his eyes away from the screen when Yeager called his name again. First he caught sight of Sophia, looking as though she had seen a ghost. Then his gaze shifted over to the two people he didn't recognize. But then he realized he did recognize one, but only vaguely.

"Wait…" He said dumbly. "You can't be-"

"Sara Sampson," She finally spoke up in a quiet, but sure voice.

"You're alive," Tommy found he was barely able to form full sentences.

"By the skin of my teeth," She chuckled slightly, shaking her head.

Tommy was amazed and at a loss for words.

"Wait, but then that means-" Tommy started, reality dawning on him. "Fuck, Lindy!"

"What?!" Sara's eyes suddenly grew wide, and she seemed confused.

"Long story short," Tommy began, sighing deeply and squeezing the bridge of his nose. "This creep has been following Lindy and killing people. She doesn't know it, but the very guy she's trying to stop is her..._boyfriend_. And she's out somewhere with him, looking for you. And something tells me he knows that they're not gonna find you there."

The word "boyfriend" tasted like poison in Tommy's mouth. Sara gasped while Sophia squealed in horror.

"Oh my god. We need to find her," Sara said, suddenly growing serious with steely determination.

Tommy almost smiled at her striking resemblance to Lindy at that very moment, but he couldn't. Not when he knew that she was in more danger now than she ever had been in the time prior, whether she knew it or not.

"Call her again!" Sophia cried.

It was more of a cry of desperation, but Tommy figured he might as well try.

He called her twice. No answer.

_So that's it for chapter 1, guys. I'll have the next part up soon and don't worry, Lindy _will _make an appearance. Reviews are welcome and encouraged!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey again! First of all, thanks for the reviews and shout out to Jess for catching my mistake - Mary is Catherine's niece, not daughter :) But anyway, I promised I wouldn't make you guys wait too long, so here's Chapter 2. Keep in mind that it starts from Lindy's POV so time-wise it overlaps a bit with what happens at the end of Chapter 1 (as far as Tommy calling her). Hope you guys like it!**

Meanwhile, Lindy and Jake had split up on Hart Island, agreeing that they could cover more ground that way. It had been Lindy's idea, and while Jake was extremely hesitant at first (Lindy couldn't understand or figure out why), he eventually relented.

Tommy had tried calling her multiple times since they left, and she was sick of it. She had told him that she didn't trust him, what more could she say? Did he _not_ realize that she had bigger priorities right now?

As she was scouring the grounds with no Jake in sight, he called again. Then again. Exasperated, she finally picked up on the third time.

"What?" She hissed through gritted teeth.

"Lindy, where are you?" Tommy asked, in his typical take-no-bullshit tone.

"I thought we already discussed this – you're not my keeper. You never have been, but you certainly aren't now. It's not really your business where I go anymore," She shot back.

"Well you're the one who said it was up to me to find this killer, so I think your whereabouts just became exactly my business," Tommy's patience was wearing thin – _when would this girl just let him help her?_

"What do you mean?" Lindy's tone calmed dramatically.

"Where are you?" Tommy simply asked again.

"With Jake. Looking for my sister, which is more than I can ever say Cyber Crimes did," She was back to going for the jugular, but Tommy had no time for it.

"You need to get out of there. Listen, Lindy, I know you don't trust me and you probably don't want to believe me right now," Tommy sighed, but his voice stayed steady. "But Jake is the Flirtual killer."

Lindy laughed a big, dry laugh into the phone. "Ha! Good one. You know, Tommy, this really takes the cake. I'm sure you're chock full of evidence, too."

She was being sarcastic, but he was cutting right through it.

"Lindy, he's bullshitting you. He's playing you," Tommy said quickly, he didn't know where she was or how close Jake was – he could've even been tapped into the conversation the entire time. "He led you there knowing he could get you alone."

"Right," Lindy replied, still not buying it. "And where's your proof?"

"Sara's standing right next to me at Cyber Crimes right now," Tommy deadpanned.

"What? Huh? No- she can't be," Lindy was spluttering.

While not entirely convinced, she was definitely caught off guard. If Tommy was lying, this was certainly a new low.

"Lindy, it's me – it's Sara," A new voice was on the other end now. It was familiar in a nostalgic way. "Mary found me. She said she talked to you and it motivated her to reach out to me. Please, please come back. I'll tell you everything, I promise, just like when we used to sit on the swings at home."

Lindy gasped, and wanted to talk to her, but the phone had already been passed back to Tommy.

"Sara- " was all Lindy could manage to whisper.

"Lindy, you gotta help me help you. You gotta get out of there. Whatever you have to do until we can find you. Come on, I can't let anything happen to you," there was a hint of desperation in his voice.

"Tommy," Lindy's voice remained at a whisper, but this time more urgent. "I have to go. Jake's back."

And with that, the call was ended by Lindy. Tommy slammed his palm on the table, cursing to himself.

"Wait!" Sara called out. "Can't we trace her phone now that we were able to talk to her?"

Upon that suggestion, Tommy ran back to the computer, immediately getting to work. Their tracking systems were notably slower than usual, and he was sure it wasn't an accident or coincidence.

"I know!" Sophia spoke up for the first time in a while, and all eyes abruptly turned towards her. "We need George!"

They called up George and within 20 minutes Yeager had gone out in the patrol car and picked him up, and they were rapidly cluing him in.

"Whoa, system overload, guys," He said, but not in his usual, jovial tone. He was clearly distressed as well.

Luckily, after extensive (and very illegal) work, George was able to track Lindy's location. Though he admitted that "something big and bad" was at work on her phone already.

"Hart Island?" Yeager questioned.

"Home of the unclaimed dead," Sara chimed in, surprising everyone. "AKA me."

"Shit," Sophia cursed under her breath.

Tommy was already halfway out the door when the rest of their crew caught on to start following.

"Sara, do you want to stay here? I mean, who knows what you'll see out there. Who knows what this guy might do," Tommy said.

"If you don't think I'm going, you're out of your damn mind," She asserted, huffing past him.

"Just like her sister," Tommy muttered in exasperation to Yeager, who simply nodded.

Mary decided to stay back and head to the hospital, deciding it would be helpful in case they needed any information from Catherine, who still couldn't speak on her own just yet.

_I'll be posting again later! Lucky for you all, I write a lot, so the only way to get this all up before the finale on Monday means I'll have to post more than once a day for a couple days._ _As always, reviews are welcome and extremely appreciated!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry it took me longer than I wanted to update, but sadly I can't write fanfics 24/7. Thanks for all your feedback so far, though! It's great to hear from you guys and I'm so happy you like it!**

Lindy knew she had to act natural, and luckily she had a good poker face. But then again, this killer always seemed to be one step ahead. Her mind was racing – _SARA WAS ALIVE_. Sure, she'd been tricked and lied to in the past, but she and her sister had a bond, and she knew immediately that it was really her on the other side of the phone. As for the whole 'Jake is a serial killer' thing, she still wasn't entirely convinced, and Tommy had barely explained a damn thing, but something about the look in his eyes when she was ripping him a new one at the hospital told her he wouldn't lie to her again, especially not about this.

She tried to shake the thoughts out of her head, eliciting a strange look from Jake.

"You okay?" He asked, concern etched on his face.

"Yeah! Sorry, just a long day already. I didn't find anything," she shrugged dejectedly.

"Me neither. Well, not yet," Jake grabbed her hand and squeezed encouragingly.

Lindy wanted nothing more than to squirm out of his grip, but she put on a weak smile and pressed through it. How had Tommy's voice gotten stuck in her head again already?

"Want lunch? I packed us a picnic," Jake offered.

"Sure," Lindy smiled slightly.

_Nothing more romantic than a picnic in a grave of unmarked bodies_, Lindy thought to herself.

Once Jake had gone back towards the boat to get their food, Lindy couldn't fight the bile rising in her throat, and she emptied the contents of her stomach on the grass, panting. Everything was just getting to be too much. She pulled out her phone again – she needed to talk to someone. Sophia or George, maybe. She tried to shoot a text to Sophia, but it didn't go through. No service.

"Shit," she whispered to herself, but quickly changed her tune when she saw Jake approaching once again, cooler in hand.

She wasn't sure how she was going to pull this off, but she had to try. They sat down on the grass and she felt the unease sinking into her. She momentarily wondered who they were sitting on top of, but pushed that morbid thought from her mind.

"Hey Jake," she said quietly, putting a hand on his knee. "What do we say we take a break? All of this sadness, this morbidity – it's really getting to me."

"I thought we _were_ taking a break," Jake laughed lightly, gesturing to the picnic spread in front of them.

"No I mean, just get out of here for a bit. We can go get a real lunch back on mainland. It'll be nice. Change of pace, then we'll be energized and ready to get back to it," she proposed, smiling.

"But Lindy – think of what it took to get us here. I know how much this trip means to you, and I'd hate for us to get distracted or undo our progress," he resisted.

Lindy laughed dryly. "What progress? Besides, I really don't mind, I think it would be nice to clear our heads. Or at least mine, I guess."

"Lindy," he said, a little more forcefully. "We're staying. We came here for a reason, and I know how determined you are. It's something we have in common. It's what makes us such a good team."

Lindy felt an uneasy chill creep up her back, but she tried to distract from it by digging into one of the sandwiches Jake had packed. She could've sworn she saw a twinkle in his eye of something. She couldn't pinpoint it, but it seemed _evil_. Everything felt wrong.

After silence for a few seconds, he added, "Just think of Sara."

Lindy blinked hard. She already _was_ thinking of Sara. She was thinking about Sara, alive and miles away, while she was on an island looking for an empty grave. Her response was a weak nod.

* * *

Tommy's hands were tight on the steering wheel, knuckles whitened. Sophia nervously bit her nails, Yeager was firing off texts back and forth with people still at the precinct, Sara was staring out the window, a hardened expression on her face, and George had a habit of babbling when he was nervous (even more so than he usually talks). They had backup on standby – rescue helicopters and other officers – but they all decided it would be best if just Tommy and Yeager handled it at first, and knew that any police activity would raise Jake's suspicion and could potentially make him do something to hurt Lindy.

They arrived at the small town that hosted the marina to get to Hart Island and took a quick chance to regroup. Sophia and George would stay on the mainland, especially if they needed something researched or hacked quickly. Tommy suggested that Sara stay with them and they all agreed, but then she pulled him aside.

"Listen, I need to go with you guys," Sara crossed her arms tightly.

"Sara, who knows what we'll see over there. Plus something could happen to you," Tommy tried to reason.

"Tommy, look. I know you care about my sister, and I do, too, which is why I need to do this. I need to be there. Don't you know how long we've been apart?" She asked with desperation in her tone.

"Of course. I think I know more than anyone," He sighed.

"Then you understand…you understand why I need to go with you. When we talked on the phone I could just tell something wasn't right. It's a sister thing," Sara explained. "I know it's high stakes, trust me. But I've been to hell and back already. And I trust you."

Hearing those last words were like an ever-so-slight weight off his shoulders, but not enough of a distraction from her true point.

"I knew something was off, too," He sighed, deep with unease.

"You know that I'm right. Also, maybe she still doesn't believe you – she'd be crazy not to, but it seems like you did something to really piss her off. But if she sees me there, in the flesh, she'll have no choice but to know it's true. You know Lindy like I do – she's stubborn like no other. If we have to pull out all the stops to save her, then why not?" Sara stated her case and could tell Tommy was relenting his earlier decision.

"Fine," He said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "But you need to _promise me_ you'll listen and not do anything too drastic."

Sara actually laughed, "Why do I feel like you've said that a million times before?"

Tommy chuckled slightly, then ushered Sara back towards Yeager, who was waiting for them at their boat. It was NYPD-issued, but unmarked to avoid any suspicion. Though small, it had a lower deck so nobody would actually know who was on the boat if they were seeing it from a distance.

_I know it's mainly been plot so far, but it's about to get _intense _next chapter, guys._ _Check back tomorrow!_


	4. Chapter 4

**It's about to get cray in here!** **Sorry if this chapter is a_ little_ shorter, but trust me, it's still jam-packed.**

Just when Lindy felt like she was about to scream from frustration, Jake stopped in his tracks. He pulled out the crudely-drawn map from his pocket and held it out in front of him. Lindy was pretty sure he was bullshitting – both Jake _and_ the guy who drew it – realistically, there was no way to truly know where a body was buried once it was said and done. Jake grabbed the shovels he had been carrying in his bag and handed one to Lindy, who took it more slowly. She just stood there blankly, not wanting to think about what they were about to do.

"Hey," he said, squeezing her free hand. "Whatever happens here today, just know that I'm here for you. I'll always be here for you. Lindy, I love you."

"Yeah," she said weakly as he leaned in and kissed her on the temple.

Jake immediately began to dig with gusto, while Lindy remained rooted in her spot. After a few minutes, Jake noticed.

"Um, Lindy? This grave won't dig itself," he said, a little harshly, but then caught himself and softened his tone. "I know it's hard for you, but we're one step closer to knowing."

_'I already know'_ echoed in Lindy's head but she didn't dare speak it out loud. Instead, she tried again in vain to change Jake's mind one last time.

"Jake, this is just-" she started, making herself sound extra upset. "This is so hard. I don't know if I can do this. Maybe we should just go back."

Anger flashed over Jake's face, but he returned back to his typical neutral expression. It was clear that he was getting tired of Lindy's resistance.

"Lindy, I know that you're a strong girl. You can and you will do this," Jake growled, under the guise of trying to sound encouraging.

Lindy sighed and began digging, terrified of what (or who) would be at the bottom of that hole. She knew it wasn't Sara, and who was she to rob someone of their peace?

After what felt like hours, their shovels began to hit something solid. Jake's relieved sigh was a stark contrast to Lindy's deep sigh of grief. After clearing off enough dirt to clearly reveal a box marked "3034," Jake stepped out of the hole, offering Lindy his hand.

"Ready?" He asked.

Lindy didn't react. Using his shovel, Jake lifted the lid. It was empty. Strangely enough (or not too strange, at this point), he had very little reaction. Despite knowing the truth already, Lindy still gasped. After all, it's not every day you spend an afternoon grave-digging.

"I can't believe it," Jake gasped, running a hand over his face in fake distress.

"Jake," Lindy sighed, realizing it was now or never. "Sara's not here…because she's alive."

"What?" Jake asked incredulously.

Lindy couldn't hold in her anger much longer, and her voice was considerably louder the second time she spoke, slow and deliberate, "Sara isn't in this grave. Because she's not dead. I found out earlier."

Jake went a little white in the face, but still kept up the innocent act.

"So why are we here, Jake?" Lindy was now staring and burning a hole right through him, with her hands on her hips.

If looks could kill, he'd be as dead as Ben, Reiss, Oliver, Julia, Tessa, and all of his other victims combined.

"To find your sister, Lindy. Because I love you, Lindy," Jake said, through gritted teeth.

"It's you, isn't it?" She asked, not sounding accusatory, just curious.

"What do you mean?" Jake cocked his head.

"The killer," Lindy said, barely above a whisper.

Jake was expressionless, emotionless. "I just wanted you to be happy. Happy with me. There were so many…distractions. But now you can see that we're perfect for one another."

But Lindy noticed something – Jake had lost his accent. His voice now was the same she had heard on so many other occasions from the Flirtual killer himself. It took her a minute or two to realize that he was waiting for a response.

"You…you lied to me," She shook her head at him.

She turned to leave but Jake was faster than her.

"I won't let you get away. There's no one else. You're my perfect ten," Jake said, still not sounding angry, just unsettlingly neutral.

_Like a psychopath._

Taking hold of Lindy, he turned her around, putting her face extremely close to his.

"I'm sorry it has to be this way," He apologized, shaking his head. "But you've given me no other choice."

With that, he kissed her, then tossed her into the open grave like a ragdoll, closing the lid over her writhing, protesting form.

_AH! That was honestly a little scary to write, but that's crazy Jake for ya. More up later!  
_


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry I left you all on that cliffhanger, ha. BUT ANYWAY, without further ado, because I'm sure you're waiting for this update, here you go!**

Tommy, Yeager, and Sara scoured the Island. Everything looked the same. After an hour or so, they finally saw something in the distance. It was immediately clear to Tommy – he could recognize Lindy anywhere. Not just because of the fact that she was constantly plaguing his thoughts, dreams, and worries, but because essentially being hired to watch out for someone constantly made them easy to spot. It was like an instinct.

"Lindy," Sara squealed under her breath, pointing in her sister's direction.

But where was Jake?

They approached slowly at first, but then once she had started running in a random direction, they picked up speed to intercept her. She looked frenzied, like she had been running for her life. Without even realizing it – the adrenaline had taken over – she slammed right into Tommy, eliciting a sharp scream from her.

"Whoa, whoa, Lindy. I got you," Tommy steadied her, grabbing her by the elbows and crouching down to her height.

She was panting.

"Tommy," she whispered in between breaths.

Then she glanced behind him and spotted her baby sister. It was as if she had seen a ghost. She ran to her sister, picking her up and spinning her around.

"I can't believe it. I can't believe it's really you!" Lindy cried in elation, but was still clearly distracted and kept glancing back over her shoulder nervously.

"Lindy. What's going on?" Sara asked, getting straight to the point.

Tommy was grateful that Sara understood the gravity of the situation.

"It's Jake," she explained, shifting her eyes to Tommy then back to Sara.

"Where is he?" Tommy demanded as a fire erupted in him at the mention of Jake's name.

More than anything, he wanted – no, he _needed_ – to keep Lindy safe. And now not just Lindy, but Sara, too.

"We dug the grave, but it was empty. He tried to put me in there. It's him, Tommy, it's really him," Lindy sighed, it was clearly a horrifying memory to recall, but she needed to stay strong for Sara. "But I fought my way out and when he wasn't looking, I hit him with the shovel and he fell in."

Tommy was momentarily impressed, and a feeling of pride washed over him, but it was only fleeting as he remembered the direness of the situation.

"He's over there?" Tommy asked, ready to spring into action.

"Yes, but I don't know how long it'll last," Lindy shook her head.

By the time they were back near the grave site – with Tommy leading the pack – Jake was stirring. Sporting a new cut on his forehead and dusted with mud, he climbed out of the hole. He was a little disoriented at first, but then collected himself.

"Why are you doing this, Lindy?" He asked pathetically, honestly not understanding.

"Why are _you_?" She choked out in desperation, wondering just what she'd done to deserve this for so long.

"I already told you, Eye Candy. You're perfect. We need to be together. If not in this life, then the next. You passed all my tests, solved all my riddles. Everyone else is out of the way, they never understood you like I do," His response sent a shiver down Tommy's spine while Sara narrowed her eyes at him.

"And you!" Jake's sadness turned to rage as he diverted his attention. "Now you're trying to get in the way, trying to tear Lindy and I apart. She claims she loves you more than me. So you'll have to go."

He started moving toward Sara, but Tommy was already on him, fighting him with every ounce of resentment he had been unintentionally storing up until this moment. He was almost a little taken aback by just _how much_ force he was putting into this. This wasn't any other cop-VS-criminal altercation. Gradually, and without fully realizing it - _and completely against Catherine's warnings_ \- he had made it personal.

Jake had fallen, and now Tommy was kicking him as he had with Michael Doll in the basement of the apartment. He didn't go down without a complete fight, though, and landed a decent punch that left Tommy with a cut on his forehead and what he was sure would be a black eye in the morning.

Meanwhile, Yeager had ushered Sara away, and Lindy and Sara stood back, clinging onto each other. Lindy clutched Sara's head to her chest, but refused to look away as Tommy finally put handcuffs on a barely-conscious Jake. Yeager had already called for backup, and the police were waiting to take Jake away.

Lindy and Sara walked with their arms around each others' shoulders. Lindy was determined to keep very little space between them from here on out. She was just happy to have her back, though still clearly shaken by what had just happened.

Tommy caught her eye as he was talking to the other cops, and they shared brief, shy, and (on Lindy's end) grateful smiles. Not too unlike when Tommy had emerged from that ship, but this time more uncertain, since they still weren't positive where they stood with each other.

Once they had arrived back to the car where George and Sophia had been waiting, Sophia ran to Lindy, throwing herself onto her.

"Lindy…do not _ever_ do that again," Sophia wagged a finger in Lindy's face.

Lindy just laughed and hugged her in return. Tommy couldn't help but feel a little left out of the love-fest, but he knew he had no place to expect anything. Also, it was just about Lindy and Sara right now, and he wanted to give them their space. A few days of silence from Lindy was nothing compared to not hearing from her own sister for _years_ (even though sometimes it felt like years to him).

* * *

_That's all for now! The next few are going to be about this length, but don't worry, because there's about to (finally) be some Tindy and the last chapter is nearly double the size! Come back for more tomorrow and please review :)_


	6. Chapter 6

They made the long ride back to Brooklyn in equal states shock, disbelief, exhaustion, and elation. Lindy and Sara went through periods of giddily catching up and stunned silence.

It turns out that Sara had been living in a youth hostel in Manhattan. It was safe, and she had an unconventional family there, but she was more than happy to be reunited with her big sister and stay with her, at least for the next couple weeks.

After dropping off George and Yeager, Tommy dropped the girls off, walking up just out of habit to make sure nothing was amiss.

Leaning against the wall, he spoke for the first time in a while. "No protective detail for once. How does it feel?"

There was an internal conflict playing out on Lindy's face. "Well, maybe just for tonight. I _mean_, it's Sara's first night, so just in case."

She offered partially because she didn't want him to go and partially because she now had some very precious cargo she refused to let anything happen to.

Tommy raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask any questions as he took a seat in the usual security chair. Lindy's gaze lingered on him for a second, but she tore it away, making her way into the apartment to catch up more with her sister and Sophia.

After they had talked for a while and giggled enough for 3 middle school slumber parties, Sara couldn't hide her yawns any longer.

"Tired, kid?" Lindy asked, nudging her.

"I spent my day witnessing my sister fight and bring down a serial killer, so that's an understatement," Sara laughed dryly.

"Pajamas are in the top drawer, you're staying in my bed tonight," Lindy ordered.

Sara started toward Lindy's room, but then stopped in her tracks.

"Hey Lindy?" Sara called out, turning back towards her sister. "I like him. I can't explain it, but I just do. You deserve someone who really cares about you. And I just know-"

Sara trailed off, but Lindy already knew what she was trying to say. She nodded in comprehension and Sara went off to change and go to bed. Lindy marveled over the fact that despite being separated for so long, it was like her sister never missed a beat – it was like they had always been mentally connected, and it had somehow gotten stronger during their time apart.

After standing for a good five minutes with her hand lingering just above the doorknob, she finally decided to bite the bullet, opening it slowly.

Tommy's head snapped up from whatever game he had been playing on his phone.

"Something wrong?" He asked, a mix of curiosity and genuine concern.

Lindy felt immediate guilt over having snapped at him. After the day she'd had, it felt like the revelation had been so, so long ago, and the sting was barely even there. But she refused to think about it right now. The part of her brain harboring the concept of she and Tommy was a mess right now that she wasn't eager to deal with just yet. Soon, but not today.

"You're sleeping on the couch," Lindy ordered.

"What? Lindy, I really don't need to-" He began to protest, but Lindy wasn't having it.

Also, despite his protesting, he had already begun to get out of his chair.

"Tommy, you said it yourself, there's no reason for you to be sitting out in the hall. Plus, living room is still first line of defense," She argued, and Tommy knew better than to argue back at this point, given that he was still walking on eggshells around her.

She just stood there, holding the door open until he finally relented and walked in, taking a seat on the couch.

Lindy was wringing her hands nervously. Suddenly she felt awkward, which was unlike her usual self. She knocked out a serial killer and fought her way out of a grave earlier and now she was uncomfortable just talking to _a guy_? She laughed in spite of herself at the ridiculousness of it all.

"What?" Tommy asked.

A few more seconds of silence passed, and Lindy had completely ignored his question. Without a word, she went to the bathroom and came out with various tubes and a washcloth, and began cleaning the cut on his head. Tommy watched her, just staring at her working in deep concentration. Lindy's whole body felt like it was on fire due to their proximity. Their eyes met momentarily, and suddenly the intensity of the situation overwhelmed her. She sat down, leaving considerable distance between them.

"I- …Tommy, thank you," She said with utmost sincerity and a voice only a little higher than a whisper.

She knew why she felt awkward, though. This wasn't just _a_ _guy_. This wasn't Reiss or even Jake (oh god, definitely not Jake). This was completely different and it terrified her.

"Lindy," Tommy looked at her with a steely expression. "Of course."

They stared at each other for a bit, saying nothing. After a few more minutes of loaded silence, Lindy finally moved a bit, throwing her arms around Tommy in gratitude. He rubbed her head, willing them to stay like that forever. But Lindy eventually came to her senses, said thank you once more, then went to her room.

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_"Aw" on three... _

_We're down to the wire guys - with season 1 and with this story. Two more chapters from me (one later today and one sometime tomorrow) and then the FINALE tomorrow night! As always, please review if you feel so inclined. I'm so thankful for all your feedback!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey _jakesmom_, patience is a virtue ;)**

**This is SUUUPER short you guys, but I just wanted to get this cute little drabbley scene in before my big finale! I really liked writing this for some reason, I love imagining Sara as a character so this was fun for me. **

**Thanks again for reading and reviewing!**

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Tommy woke up first the next morning, momentarily forgetting where he was, until he felt a sharp back pain from sleeping on a too-small couch. Within a few minutes, he heard Lindy's bedroom door open and Sara stepped out, trying to acquaint herself with the kitchen and Lindy's Keurig, which was a foreign object to her. She noticed that Tommy was awake.

"I take it Lindy doesn't do much cooking in here, does she?" Sara gave up on scrounging for breakfast and leaned against the kitchen island as her coffee brewed.

Tommy snorted, "I'd say that's an understatement."

"So…" Sara looked at Tommy inquisitively as she took a seat in the living room chair, pausing first to toss him a bag of frozen peas for his brand new black eye.

"Happy to be home?" He asked.

"_What_?! Of course I am," She said, waving her hand at him dismissively. "But let's just cut to the chase here and talk about what's going on between a certain cop and the girl in there taking up 3/4 of the bed she was supposed to _share_ with me last night."

"Excuse me?" He asked dumbly.

"You're a cyber detective who brought home a girl who had been missing for years and solved the case of a virtual serial killer, play dumb for someone else," She laughed and rolled her eyes.

"It's…complicated," Tommy shrugged, sighing.

"Look, all I'm saying is that I haven't been back with my sister for more than 24 hours and I can already see there's something going on with you two." Sara sipped her coffee as if the action solidified her point.

Tommy blinked at her, he was at a loss for words.

"You need to _un_-complicate it. I've seen those broody puppy-dog eyes of yours. Whatever you did, fix it, because my sister needs someone good – AKA not a serial killer – in her life. And I'm rooting for you," she said matter-of-factly, like a teacher assigning homework.

"So the only criterion is 'not a serial killer,' huh?" Tommy chuckled.

"You guys are both such hardasses, you deserve each other!" Sara cried in exasperation, but she was smiling.

"Look, I've gotta get back to the precinct sometime today and probably shouldn't show up in clothes stained with a murderer's blood. But I'll see you when you guys come in to give your statements later," Tommy made his way to the door, still holding the frozen peas to half of his face.

"You sure will," Sara nodded enthusiastically, with a hint of sarcasm in her tone because she was dreading having to relive that case.

Just as Tommy was reaching the door, she spoke out again, this time in a softer voice.

"And Tommy," She said. "Thank you. So much. This means everything to Lindy and I…I'd hug you, if you weren't splattered with blood."

Tommy laughed and gave her a salute, then went home. He sure had a lot of thinking to do. And waiting. There was nothing he could do until Lindy was ready to talk. But even then, what would he say?

* * *

_Inlaws, am I right? (Lol). But see what I mean? Getting to come up with a Sara-Tommy dynamic was fun for me because I got to use a little more imagination, since we know very little about Sara and her personality from the show. Hope you guys liked it and get ready for the final chapter TOMORROW! Thanks for stickin' with me!  
_


	8. Chapter 8

**THIS IS IT, YOU GUYS. I'd like to take a second to thank you all SO, SO much for your kind words and just for reading and reviewing in general. It wouldn't have been half as fun to write and post this if it wasn't for y'all, so thanks again. **

* * *

Lindy and Sara spent their morning doing normal sisterly activities like shopping, gossiping and people-watching. Sara was a bit overwhelmed at how much Lindy was buying for her – while Sara had a job in the city, it didn't pay very well since it was under-the-table and part-time.

Once Lindy decided to give her credit card a rest for the day, they trekked into Manhattan. Sara wanted to introduce Lindy to her roommates and friends, and more than anything to explain what had happened.

"Okay, so it looks pretty shoddy, I'm warning you," Sara said, self-consciously. Suddenly her confidence had been replaced by nervousness.

"Sara, I'm your big sister. As long as you had a roof over your head that wasn't provided by some kidnapping perv, I'm happy," Lindy squeezed her shoulder.

They approached the building – it _was_ a little shoddy and rundown, but it was tidy on the inside. It was run by two adults, Carol and Joe, who had been orphans growing up themselves and wanted to give kids and young adults a place to feel safe in the city. Sara explained that at times, Carol and Joe were like parents to them all. Everyone cared for one another fiercely, and they bonded over their pasts - each having their own unique story.

Sara introduced Lindy to her roommates and best friends. First there was Liz, a tall, skinny blonde with modelesque bone structure. It turned out that she had moved all the way to New York for modeling, cutting ties with her strict, religious family. She had a successful career for a bit, but then got into a horrible car accident on the way home from a photoshoot that left her with a prosthetic leg. After that, her modeling days were over, and since she was underage, she barely got a cut of the money she had made.

Charlotte was a different story. The short redhead whose cheeks were covered in freckles had been kidnapped by the same man as Sara (and Mary). When they finally got a chance to get out, they did it together and have stuck together ever since. All of the other girls assumed they were dead up until Lindy had the conversation with Mary that motivated her to dig deeper. Lindy nearly cried hearing the story, rounding them both into a group hug.

Despite the cramping in the building, it was well-kept and, being girls, they had decorated their room nicely with what little they had. On Sara's nightstand there was a Polaroid picture of she and Lindy as little girls, in matching outfits and smiling without a care in the world.

Realizing the time, Lindy and Sara reluctantly had to go back to Brooklyn where they'd soon be needed at the precinct, but Lindy took the time to thank each of the girls (and the landlords) for keeping Sara safe and happy.

Once they were back on the subway, Sara turned to her sister.

"Okay, now it's time to talk business. You need to spill," Sara demanded.

"Spill what?" Lindy laughed at her sister's sudden serious demeanor.

"About you and a certain detective who I found on our couch this morning," Sara said_, _raising her eyebrows.

"Ugh, I thought we talked about this last night," Lindy groaned, throwing her head back dramatically.

"Oh please, that was barely a snippet of what I really had to say," Sara rolled her eyes.

"Well, then the floor is yours," Lindy urged her sister to continue.

"I don't care how 'complicated' you guys are," Sara said, using finger quotations. "One, he essentially saved your life. Two, he indirectly brought us back together. Three, I see those smoldering looks y'all give one another. And four, he's smoking hot."

"It's a dreadfully long story, Sar," Lindy sighed, though her sister did made excellent points, _especially number 4_...

"Well we have all the time in the world now," Sara smiled, throwing an arm around Lindy's shoulders. "But honestly, I think if everything has taught me anything, it's that life is too short. I'll spare you the gory details, but I cheated death multiple times out there. And something tells me you weren't too far off yourself. Whatever happened to make you both skittish around each other, you can't even tell me that it's really worth it anymore."

Sara's tone had become gentler, kinder, and she gave Lindy's hand a supportive squeeze.

Lindy had to admit Sara was right - it felt like centuries had passed.

They arrived at the precinct not too much later, having only made a pit stop at a nearby coffee shop before heading inside.

Catherine was still in the hospital recuperating, but Yeager had all the instructions. Sara went first, and assured Lindy that she would be fine on her own. Like Lindy, Sara also had stories from the past years that she wasn't exactly ready to share yet. Eventually it would all come out, but not right now.

Lindy sat in the common area, not really knowing what to do with herself. Last time she was here – before she saw that damn video – she was doing work. But now she had severed those ties, and in a weird way it felt foreign to her. She had an urge to log onto a computer and start doing _something_, but she didn't think it was her place anymore.

That was when she caught sight of Tommy as he walked out of Catherine's office. From across the room, they locked eyes and were caught in a sexually-charged staring contest. Tension built every second that passed. Lindy finally had enough and, letting out a breath she didn't even realize she was holding, marched over to him.

"Hey," he said lightly.

"Hey," Lindy greeted, mirroring his tone – not their usual banter, but a vast improvement from her being at his throat.

"Got this for you," she added, holding out the extra coffee as a sort of peace offering.

"It's 5pm," Tommy smirked.

"Are you trying to tell me you haven't had a long day?" She put her free hand on her hip and quirked an eyebrow.

"Point taken," Tommy nodded, taking a long sip of his drink.

"Can we talk?" Lindy asked abruptly, as if she wanted to get the question out before she lost her nerve.

"Aren't we?" Tommy asked, not to challenge her, but just because he was trying to gather his thoughts.

"Not in here," Lindy glanced around then started towards the door.

Tommy was easily able to catch up to her long strides, and soon enough they were outside amidst the pedestrians and cigarette breaks. They stood there for a few minutes like awkward middle schoolers. But then Lindy sighed, she'd had enough of these countless awkward silences.

"I just need to know…how did you do it?" She asked, eyes wide. "How did you know?"

"Well," Tommy began with a deep sigh. "It happened after they found Oliver. I found out Hamish had ties to Babylon that could implicate him. We tried breaking into the servers there, but no luck. Apparently that caliber of illegal is only _your_ forte. Then, somehow Hamish had a clue that led us to the fact that the Flirtual killer had put up an ad on Babylon for someone to kill Reiss. Hence how Jake was at your party. We rethought the entire timeline – Jake's whole alibi from that night fell apart. And Catherine confirmed that Jake attacked her. Things just started making sense."

"And my sister?" Lindy was dumbfounded.

"Mary called Yeager while we were about to leave to try and find you, and then she showed up at the precinct with your sister. Luckily you _finally_ answered, because then we were able to track you."

"Oh my god," Lindy shook her head in shock. "I still can't believe it. Jake? I never would've thought…"

"I know, I know, we all thought he was cleared," Tommy shrugged.

"But you- _you_ never liked Jake," Lindy said. "You knew better. God, I'm so stupid."

"Lindy," Tommy laughed sheepishly. "I had my reasons for not being Bolin's number one fan, but not because I thought he was a _serial killer_."

"But Tommy, why? Why did you go through all this trouble? Everything," Lindy asked desperately, searching his face for an answer.

"When Ben died, I made a promise to him that I would never let anything bad happen to you, I promised I would keep you safe. To be honest, that was something I'd vowed from the beginning," he explained slowly.

"That's why? Just because of Ben?" Lindy asked earnestly, dropping her voice to a whisper. She looked up at him with a glimmer of something - Tommy wasn't sure what. Hope, maybe? - in her eyes.

Without skipping a beat, he answered. "No."

Before either of them had a real chance to think, that was all Lindy needed to hear to close the distance between them, their lips meeting in the middle. Her hands were in his hair and he was pulling her as close as he possibly could in an attempt to make up for the distance that had been between them for the past week. Their tongues were waging a war on each other that, if they weren't situated on a crowded sidewalk, probably never would've stopped.

They pulled away, breathless, and just looked into each others' eyes for a while, half thankful for having air in their lungs again and half wanting nothing more than to start back up again. It felt different this time - nobody was watching with intent to end Tommy's life, they weren't acting for work, and they had finally reached a level of mutual understanding. Finally gone were the days where Lindy was constantly checking over here shoulder and Tommy hanging around her more as a bodyguard than a friend (but that had certainly changed somewhere down the line as well). Now they could just _be._

Realizing the time, Tommy hesitantly turned back to the precinct. It would soon be Lindy's turn to give a statement.

"Ready for this?" He asked encouragingly, putting his hand on her lower back and guiding her back inside as they fell into step with one another.

"As I'll ever be," she sighed deeply, looking straight ahead.

Then she brightened slightly, and looked up at him with a smirk. "Hey, so...what are your thoughts on protective duty tonight?"

"I think I could do that," he nodded, glancing down at her with a laugh.

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_Aaaaand that's a wrap! I hope you all enjoyed! Please, please review, I'd love to hear from you guys! Thank you so much for reading. Fingers crossed for some Tindy tonight! (But I'm trying not to get my hopes up). In the meantime, I'm also working on a Tindy-themed one shot that I'll hopefully put up soon, and I'd love to see more Eye Candy fics out there so if you have an idea, get writing! :)_


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